


Four times Glorfindel got lost in the past and one time he did not

by Eule



Category: The Lord of the Rings - All Media Types, The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien, The Silmarillion and other histories of Middle-Earth - J. R. R. Tolkien
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-11
Updated: 2020-06-06
Packaged: 2021-03-02 20:15:54
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,613
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24132679
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eule/pseuds/Eule
Summary: Some things bring back memories you only want to forget, good when there is someone by your side everytime it happens.
Comments: 8
Kudos: 16





	1. Thunder

Elrond woke to the sound of thunder rolling over the valley, shortly followed by a bright strike of lightning, followed again by an even louder thunder than the one before.   
He was about to go back into reverie again, when a feeling of unease settled deep within him. Something wasn’t right or someone.  
It couldn’t be his wife, because she was back with her parents in Lóthlorien for some time and even if she had been by his side at the moment, Celebrain wasn’t afraid of thunderstorms. On the contrary, his wife would sit at one of the windows, a blanket draped over her shoulders while watching this spectacle of nature with childlike happiness. He smiled at the memory and had to admit that he missed her dearly and was glad she would be back within the next month.   
He sighted and pulled a thicker robe over his lighter sleeping clothes and began to walk the empty corridors of the Last Homely House East of the Sea. His mind would not allow him to go back to sleep before he had found whichever troubled soul needed him. 

The corridors were dark and the stone floor wet in the areas of open hallways, the harsh wind pushing the rain inside. And at the end of one of these corridors, facing the mountainside stood a tall figure. Long blond hair stuck to equally wet clothing, evidently not aware of the wind, the rain and the state he was in.   
But before Elrond could move further, he heard the approaching of soft footsteps from another direction and turned his head moments before another dark haired elf came into view. Erestor seemed to be as surprised to see his Lord, as Elrond felt to see his counselor, but he didn’t hesitated to greet him nonetheless, even if his eyes were radiating concern in the flickering candle light, when they fell upon the unmoving figure a short distance away. 

“My Lord Elrond, may I ask what you are doing outside your rooms at this late hour and in this weather?” he asked and looked back to him.  
“I could ask you the same”, he said with a soft smile, but answered the question nevertheless. “I am searching for a troubled soul and I think I have found it here.”  
Erestor seemed confused for a moment and sighted when understanding came. “It seems we are out here with the same purpose.”   
Elrond raised an eyebrow at that. “You searched for him, why?”  
Erestor shifted uncomfortable from one feet to the other for a moment and looked at the gold haired elf again before he turned his gaze back to Elrond.  
“Sometimes, when a thunderstorm catches him unaware, be it because he was inside and didn’t see it coming, he is too occupied with other things he has to do or is quite exhausted from a patrol or a taxing day in general it seems that the sound of thunder throws him back to his fight with the Balrog after the flight from Gondolin. The cracking of the whip of Morgoths creature sounded like a thunder after lightning strikes and it throws him back to this last moments in which he lost not only his life but many of his friends, too."  
Elrond nodded solemnly and turned back to the still figure, which was absolutely unaware of the conversation hold only a few meters away. Glorfindel hadn’t been with them for a long period of time and had done well so far. He didn’t speak about his past, even if asked directly he would only smile and change the topic with total confidence in being respected in his silence over his last life. There were definitely nightmares and a lot of sleepless nights, too. He won’t speak about that, but Elrond wasn’t a healer for nothing. He had made sure, that the tea servants brought to Glorfindels room every evening were calming ones, when he sensed distress and exhaustion from the warrior without his notice. He would deny that if asked, but no one asked. 

“This isn’t the first time it happened, I assume?” The dark haired Peredhel tried to recount how many thunderstorms had been since Glorfindels return and guessed five, but wasn’t sure at all. He hadn’t had a reason to heed them any attention until now.   
Erestor seemed equally unknowing “I found out throughout the last one. We were in the library at the time and nearly injured me as I tried to break his frozen state.”  
“He wore weapons within the library?” It was a rule that no one was allowed to wear weapons at the quieter parts of the house: the healing ward, Elronds private chambers, the library, the dining hall and the hall of fire. Places meant for peace and quiet.   
Erestor actually snorted at that and hadn’t Elrond seen it with his own eyes, he wouldn’t have believed the stoic counselor capable of such an expression of amusement.   
“He didn’t need a weapon to kill someone, believe me.”   
Elrond only nodded, he could have guessed that. Glorfindel wouldn't disobey an order from him and practicing to fight for hundreds of years would leave you with some knowledge of selfdefence even without a weapon at hand.

“So how do we proceed, we couldn’t let him stand there all night.”  
Erestor shrugged clearly at a loss, another thing Elrond had never seen him do before.  
“I have to admit, that I do not know. As you can probably guess my last attempt wasn’t that successful. For me, because I thought I would die and for him, because he thought he was attacked and felt horrible afterwards; so careless approaching and getting hold of his shoulder isn’t an option.”  
Elrond thought for a moment before he turned back to Erestor.   
“Go to his room, light the fire and look for some dry clothes. We will join you as fast as possible.”

The dark haired elf did as he was told and Elrond brushed his faë against that of the golden haired warrior while he approached him, trying to make his footsteps heavier and humming softly. Glorfindel didn’t show any signs of recognizing the other elf until Elrond stood directly in front of him. Ignoring the harsh wind and cold rain hitting his back, soaking into his thick woolen robe; he looked into those wide blue eyes, which seemed almost black due to the delated pupils.  
“Glorfindel? Mellon-nin, can you hear me? You are safe, you are in Imladris, you did well and saved them. Come back to us now”, Elrond began as if speaking to a frightened animal, never stopping his stream of words to guide the ancient being back to the present. He didn’t know how long they stood there but eventually Glorfindel blinked and a few seconds later he did so again.  
“’rond?” he asked and the elf in question smiled.   
“Yes, it is me. It is good to have you back, would you come with me? Let us go inside, it is no weather to stand outside for so long.”  
Glorfindel made a small move with his head, which the Lord of Imladris interpreted as a nod and he guided the other elf back inside without losing physical contact, gently directing him to his rooms. 

He breathed out in relief when they actually made it there and he closed the door behind them, letting go of his Captain for the first time since he had approached him outside in the rain.  
Erestor had been busy, the fire was lit, dry clothes laid out and some mulled wine and fruits were sitting at the table.   
But they had made one mistake and Erestor swore quietly to himself as he hurried to pull a metal shield in front of the fire to block Glorfindels view. Who had stopped dead in his track after looking at the flames, body tense and breath quickening; Elrond resumed his soft whispering and between the two of them they got him calmed down again, into dry clothes and settled on the couch with a glass of mulled wine in his hand. He took a careful sip and leaned back. Erestor began to dry the long blond hair to put it in a simple braid for the night, so it won’t tangle in case of an uneasy sleep. Glorfindel relaxed while Erestor brushed his hair and Elrond felt the utter exhaustion the flashback had caused in his Captain. His eyes slid shut but he wasn’t fully asleep, every time a thunder rolled about the night sky he flinched and blinked tired eyes open again. But Elrond was patient and the combination of warmth, Erestors gentle ministrations and the mulled wine – in which Elrond had slipped some crushed leaves, while Erestor had helped Glorfindel to change into dry clothes – let him slip into much needed sleep. 

Elrond made sure he was comfortable enough for the night and spread a blanket over the sleeping form before he settled himself in one of the armchairs in front of the fire. As Erestor did the same, he raised a questioning eyebrow at his counselor, who shrugged and took a sip of his own glass.   
“I will not leave him here all alone, only to wake again with this thunderstorm still present”, he said and yawned.  
Elrond smiled. “I don’t think he will wake anytime soon. Get some rest, I’ll wake you if the need arises.”  
Erestor looked at him with suspicion and put his own goblet down. “You’ve drugged him.” And then as an afterthought: “Good. He needs a peaceful rest.”  
“As do you” Elrond answered and Erestor only hummed in agreement as his eyes glazed over in elven sleep, leaving the Lord of the Last Homely House to keep watch over them by himself. He was more than content to do so and smiled softly while he listened to the even breathing of the other two and the steady rain dropping against the windows as the thunder grew quieter as the night wore on.


	2. Fire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The halls of fire aren't only for joyful memories.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait! I am bad at updating regulary... but here it is!

The halls of fire were one of Glorfindels favorite places to be. He never stood to entertain the whole audience, but everyone who wanted to hear a story about friendship and adventures was invited to join him. The elflings in particular were drawn to him like moths to the flame and loved to listen the tales of the ancient warrior and would never be disappointed if they wanted to hear a story.

So Elrond was instantly alarmed when two pairs of huge gray eyes looked sadly at him out of near identical faces because Glorfindel had told them to ask Lindir for some adventure tonight. Elrond patted his twins on the head and told them to ask Lindir if he could tell them from their accident with some spiders and Thranduils heroic rescue of the minstrel. The eyes of his sons lit up, Glrofindel forgotten, and even if Lindir won’t forgive him any time soon for bringing up this particular embarrassing story again; it was worth it.

He caught a glance at his sons, which had arrived at the dark haired elf who looked rather stunned at their exited interruption of tuning his harp. After some chatter he lifted his betrayed gaze and met Elronds eyes, who directed his own gaze to another elf Lord, sitting alone in a corner of the room, a goblet dangling forgotten from his hands, eyes directed unseeing to one of the brightly burning fires. Lindir followed his line of sight, frowned and nodded in understanding before he swept Elladan and Elrohir up, so they could sit more comfortable on his knees. 

Elrond breathed in relief and made his way over to his friend. It wasn’t unusual for Glorfindel to sit in the corner farthest away from the fires, it was something that actually happened quite often –even if not as often as at the beginning of his stay here- when he needed the company of others to drown out thoughts and memories of a life long gone, but those exact memories screamed at him to flee from the fire. Then he would chose the place he had tonight, because the fire would be blocked from his view by the other elves most of the time and he wasn’t alone. 

The Lord of the Last homely House took a seat next to his friend, but he didn’t seem to notice at first and startled slightly when Elrond spoke to him.  
“Do you want to come with me, mellon-nin? I have some work in my study to do and would be glad about your company.”  
It seemed to take some effort for Glorfindel to raise his head and meet Elronds steady gaze, who could literally see Gondolins fall in the reflecting flames of those old eyes. He looked exhausted and only nodded shortly. He smiled at the other elf and took the empty goblet from slightly shaking fingers, before he helped his Captain on his feet, who swayed slightly and Elrond left his hand at the small of his back to steady him on their way. The healer in him felt the weight of the other ones soul and was glad that his sons had alerted him to this. He led the golden haired warrior to his study, helped him onto one of the divans and looked up in surprise when there was a knock on his door; Glorfindel on the other hand actually flinched at the unexpected sound.   
Seconds later the door opened and Erestor walked in, balancing a tablet with three glasses and a decanter in one hand and a leather bound journal in the other one. 

“My Lord Elrond, Glorfindel”, he greeted and put everything on the table. “Lindir wrote a few songs for the wedding of Aemalla and Ganaden next month and bid me to reread them before he would sing them and embarass himself if he got things wrong. Thought I could do that with the two of you; Elrond, Aemella is a maiden of your household for centuries after all and Ganaden one of your most loyal soldiers Glorfindel. I think there aren’t people better suited for this task than the three of us. Oh and I brought mulled wine.”  
Glorfindel starred bleary eyed at the counsellor, he was in a headspace to far away to comprehend what Erestor had told them, but accepted the goblet with mulled wine nonetheless. 

“Relax my friend”, Erestor murmured as he sat down next to him and began to read out loud what Lindir had written. His soft, melodic voice carried through the room, telling from two lives filled with love and joy in a perfect way. Elrond smiled and sipped at his wine, Erestor seemed to find his doing inconspicuous, but the Lord of the Last homely House knew better. Lindirs writings were as perfect and accurate as ever, it didn’t need a rereading, but it had been the perfect excuse for Erestor to join them and help Glorfindel through the old memories, the voice of a friend brushing away the horror of those past days. Both elves watched Glrofindels head sink back against the cushions, breathing evening out, body relaxing as sleep took hold of him. Erestor continued his reading, even as he grabbed the forgotten goblet out of slacking fingers, putting it on the small table next to them before the still warm liquid was spilled and pulled a blanket over the sleeping form, which didn’t so much as stirr under his gentle administrations.   
And so Elrond felt himself also relax, eyes glazing over against his will as he listened to Erestors calm voice reciting words woven with Lindirs own magic.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for leaving kudos and comments on the first chapter, I appreciate them!

**Author's Note:**

> First try with this fandom, I hope you like it!


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